Key case



April 23, 1940. HSCHER 2,198,109

KEY CASE Original Filed March 11, 1936 Patented Apr. 23, 1940 umrso sites KEY CASE l loward L. Fischer, St. Paul';;Minn.

Application March 11, 1936, Serial No. 68,234

Renewed October :10, v1939 6 Claims.

This invention relates to key cases which'are designed to support a series of keys between the side walls of the case in a manner so that the keys may be readily accessible when desired. A

feature resides in a simple construction, wherein the case portion is formed from sheet material such as leather or other similar material, folded at the center so that the'sides thereof fold, together like the covers of a hook to form a case or guard around the keys when'the same are held between the sides thereof.

This case is designed with a loop clasp for supporting the keys which is provided with a shank on which the keys may turn out of the key case into operative position, or back in between the side walls of the case. The clasp is also formed with spring arms extending from the shank portion which tend to hold the sides of the key case together so as to close the open side ofthe key case to inclose the keys therein. Further, the spring arms are formed with hock ends whichengage in openings in the sides of the case and which ,openingsxpermit thehook ends to engage each otherin a manner to form a spring catch which locks the ends of the clasp together, thereby locking the key case closed. Then the case may be opened by engaging the sides of ,the cover, placing a strain against the case to cause the same to spring open so that the keys may be rotated on the shank out into operating position. i

A further feature of my .key case resides in a clasp means made in a single piece of wire which .can be readily attached to the cover forming the key case and which does not requirevany means for holding the claspto the cover. This singlepiece clasp does away with ascrew post formerly used on key cases of this nature for supporting the keys and it also does. away with the spring catch which looked thesidesof the case together. The clasp may bequickly attached by sliding the hook ends of the spring arms over the outside of the squeezed together side Walls of the case, and sliding the hook ends into the openings for the shank in the cover. The simplicity of this clasp is extremely important as well as the fact that it provides a means for holding the keys in the case against accidental disengagement such as might take place in the old form where the screw post was used to hold'the keys and where the screw post would separate, letting the keys fall out of thecase.

The drawing illustrates the different 'forms of the key case and clasp to provide a means 'for supportinga number of -keys-in= a small case.

These keycases are commonly used for automobi1e ;keys, house keys, or other places where a ,fewlkeysaredesired to be supported in a small case. 7

lnlthe drawing: Figure l is, a perspective, showing one form of the key ,case.

Figure 2 is a. similar perspective of another form. H

Figure 3 illustrates still another perspective of still anotherform.

Figure-4 illustrates the .clasp of the key case removed ,fromithe cover, showing the snap ends ofthe sameclosed. 2

Figure 5 illustrates the clasp being attached or disengaged from the cover of the key case.

. Figure 6 illustrates a front edge view of the key case, showing themanner. in which the keys are attached tothe spring arms of the clasp.

. Figure Tie a front edge View. of the key case withthesnap of the clasp disengaged and the sides of the cover, partially ,open. I

Figure 8 illustrates another .form of the clasp.

. Figure 9. illustrates a perspective of still another form ofthe clasp.

. Figure 10 illustrates aform of the clasp.

Figure ,11 illustrates another form of the clasp.

I Figure 12is a perspective showing the manner ,of spreading the cover of the case open wherein the clasp is of'the form of Figures 10 The drawingillustrates the key case A which ,ismade upof. a cover portion it of leather or othersuitable flexible material which is adapted to form.v side walls/H. The cover It is folded longitudinallyalong the back edge I2 so that .theqwalls H are folded toward each other and are virtually equal in dimensions. The walls H providethesides for the cover it to shieldthe keys .3 in the case'pA. g Inthe key case A illus- 40 trated in, Figure 1; a spring metal clasp C is employedv which is of, theconstruction illustrated in Figure 4;. The clasp C is made of fiat wire or other spring material and is formed with a key receiving shank l3 upon which the keys B are adapted to rotate when held in the case A. The, clasp C is, formed-with spring arms M on each side extending from the shank l3 and the free ends of'the arms -14 areformed into hooks I 5 and H5. The hook end I 5 isadapted to engage over 'thehookend it to form a snap or catch lock for the free ends of the spring arms 14. The arms are'bent. with the offset portions l'l"therein.so .a'sxto provide the virtually parallelly disposedrportions Ill extending between the ofiset portions l1 and the hook ends I5 and IS. The parallel portions I8 of the spring arms I4 are adapted to provide a means of bearing against the side walls II of the cover III to hold the walls together to form a closure about the keys B within the case A.

The walls I! of the cover ID are formed with the holes I9 at one end of the same, which are adapted to receive the shank portion I3 of the clasp C when the clasp is in working position with the cover Ill. The manner of attaching the clasp C to the cover I is illustrated in Figure 5. The arms I4 of the clasp C are formed with the shank I3 in a manner so that they will tend to press toward each other to cause the parallel portions I8 to normally press against the side walls of the cover II] to tend to hold the same closed under spring tension of the arms I4. In placing the clasp C on the cover II] the hook ends I5 and I6 will spread Sufi'iciently apart while the Walls II are pressed together, as illustrated in Figure 5, to permit the hook ends to slide over the outside of the cover until the hooks l5 and I6 enter the openings I9. Then by pushing the arms I4 into the position illustrated in Figure 6, the hook ends I5 and I6 will be between the side walls II of the case A, as illustrated. In this position the keys B can be readily snapped between the hooks I5 and Sand onto the arms I4.

After the keys B are placed on thearms I4 they may be slid along one of the arms I4 while the clasp C is partially withdrawn, and the hook ends I5 and I6 are slid through one of the openings I9 to slide the clasp C around so that the shank I3 engages the hole in the keys and the shank I3 is positioned extending between the walls II of the cover I0 and with the corners 20 extending through the openings I9. When the clasp is in this position, the spring arms I4 can be swung around and spread sufiiciently to engage over the sides II of the case and the ends I5 and I6 hooked into the openings 2| as illustrated in Figure '7. In this position the clasp C is as illustrated in Figures 1 and '7, with the portions I8 bearing against the side walls tending to press the same together under spring tension of the arms I4 to tend to close the case A. The hook ends l5 and I6 engaging into the openings 2! hold or look the clasp C to the cover I0. It will be apparent that by engaging the portions 22 or by spreading the same as illustrated in Figure 12, the cover I0 may be spread apart to expose the keys B and to spread the arms I4. Thus the hook ends I5 and I6 function to hold the clasp C in position with the arms extending along the side walls II and to prevent any misplacement of the clasp C in relation to the cover I0.

When it is desired to remove a key from the shank I3 of the clasp C, the hook ends I6 are disengaged from. the openings 2| and the clasp is slid around so that the hook ends lie between the side walls II as illustrated in Figure 6. To close the key case A with the clasp C, it is only necessary to place the portions l8 toward each other and the hook ends which extend through the openings 2| will engage each other and will snap into locked position, overlapping as illustrated in Figure 4.

The clasp for my key case may be made in several forms, however, the functions are the same, acting primarily to provide a shank I3 upon which the keys may be rotated and swinging the spring arms of the clasp around into a position with the side walls II so as to hold the clasp in locked position so that the keys cannot come oil of the shank I3. The form D of the clasp illustrated in Figures 2 and 9, shows the spring arms I4 with pointed ends 24 which bite into the side walls H of the case to hold the clasp D in operative position as illustrated in Figure ,2. The shank I3 of the clasp such as is illustrated in Figure 9 may be corrugated as illustrated, to shorten the same for a less number of keys and to lengthen the same by flattening out the corrugations with a pliers or other instrument if desired.

The clasp E is illustrated in Figures 3, l0 and 11. In this form of the clasp, the spring arms I4 are provided with inwardly extending indentations 25 which are adapted to engage into the openings 2! to hold the arms I4 in line along the side walls II of the case A. The arms I4" are also provided with parallelly disposed ends 26 which provide bearing fingers acting virtually as extensions to the parallelly disposed portions I8 in this form of the clasp, such as E. The clasp E is also formed with ears 2! projecting above the shank I3". The cars 27 act as shoulders to hold the clasp E against sliding longitudinally when the key case A is spread as illustrated in Figure 12.

I have also illustrated a clasp C in Figure 8, which is virtually the same as the clasp G, excepting the end I6 is rolled to form a small eye over which the hook end I5 engages.

The simplicity of my key case will be apparent and its utility in holding such keys as the ignition and other keys for an automobile, or for any other purpose where a small compact key case of an inexpensive nature is desired. It will also be apparent that heretofore key cases with threaded shanks on which the keys rotated have been used, however, these threaded posts or shanks are apt to unscrew and drop the keys. Further, these old types of key cases required a separate snap fastener for holding the side walls together. The clasps C, D, or E of my key case are formed of a single piece of material and accomplish not only the function of holding the keys but lock the keys on the shank I3 and also provide a snap fastener for closing the case when desired, as well as providing the spring arms which normally automatically keep the sides of the case closed.

In accordance with the patent statutes I have described the principles of my key case, and while I desire to have it understood that these are only illustrative of manners of carrying out my invention, obvious changes may be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A key case including a cover, a spring clasp comprising a key receiving shank, spring arms extending from said shank and hook ends formed on said arms, holes in said cover for receiving said clasp at the shank portion, and holes for receiving the hook ends of said arms, whereby said clasp is locked in position to said cover and said hook ends may act as a snap lock for the free ends of said arms.

2. A key case including a cover made of flexible material, side walls having equal proportions folded onto each other, holes in said side walls at one end of said cover, holes formed near the free edge of the cover and spaced from said first holes, and a resilient key receiving clasp adapted to engage with said side walls to hold said free edges together by spring tension and formed to provide opposed spring arms and a connecting shank on which the keys are adapted to rotate 3. A key case including a flexible cover portion I formed of leather or other suitable material, said coverbeing folded centrally to provide overlying side walls and having aligned openings through said side walls, a key receiving clasp extending through said openings in the side walls and having resilient means for engaging the outer surface of the-side walls to press and lock the same together under spring tension.

4. A key case including a flexible cover formedthe keys to be contained therein are adapted to I rotate in knife-blade fashion, anda spring clasp extending through said openings inthe side walls of said cover forming a shank upon which the keys may pivot and to overlie the same along a portion thereof to hold the sides of the cover closed by spring pressure of the clasp, said clasp being provided with means for locking the sides of the cover in closed position. V

5. A key case including a cover of flexible ma-- terial folded upon itself to. provide side walls, and

a combination key'support and closure; said combination key support and closure comprisinga shank portion extending through said side walls and adapted to support keys thereon between said side walls, and a spring arm on each end of said shank portion adapted to overlie said side walls to hold them normally'closed by spring pressure.

6. A key case including cover means having side walls, a wire-like spring clasp formed with a transverse shank to extend from Wall to wall of said case, freely disposed ends extendingfrom said shank along'saidside walls, recesses formed in said side walls, inwardly projecting portions formed on said free ends of said clasp to releasably hold said spring clasp to said side walls by engaging in said recesses.

HOWARD L. FISCHER. '25 

